大般涅槃經集解 48

English (machine translation) 48

Language: English

48.1

Explaining the Origins of Penetrating the Dharma; Broadly Distinguishing the Outflow of Avoidance; Broadly Distinguishing the Outflow of Mindfulness; The Analogy of the Four Poisonous Snakes; The Analogy of the Five Caṇḍālas; The Analogy of the Pretended Relative; The Analogy of the Empty Village; The Analogy of the Six Great Robbers; The Analogy of the River; The Analogy of the Grass Raft.

48.2

Chapter on the Noble King, the Fourth.

48.3

'Good son, if there is a person who can transcribe this sūtra […] encountering this sūtra is rarer than the udumbara flower.'

48.4

Zhixiu comments: Earlier it was clarified that the Tathāgata is neither deva nor human, and also both deva and human; now this matter is brought forth to prove that it is not false.

48.5

'Good son, I recall that in the past, across immeasurable and boundless […] only being able to accept and uphold the verse and lines of a single gāthā.'

48.6

Zhixiu comments: He broadly presents the origins to verify that it is not false, concurrently clarifying the heard gāthā to test the power of the sūtra, and also demonstrating the utmost earnestness in seeking the Dharma.

48.7

'The Tathāgata realizes nirvāṇa and forever severs saṃsāra […] the extremely profound and secret virtues of the Tathāgata.'

48.8

Zhixiu comments: He broadly praises the power of the sūtra to manifest the supreme condition for transcending evil.

48.9

'For this reason, one who can accept and uphold it […] how much more so the Tathāgata! Therefore, he is without outflows.'

48.10

Baoliang comments: This concludes the outflow of avoidance. Saṃsāra is inherently false and exists in dependence on the tathāgatagarbha; therefore, one does not need to remotely flee it.

48.11

'What is the outflow of close association? All ordinary beings […] Therefore, the Tathāgata is not called having outflows.'

48.12

Baoliang comments: If one closely associates with clothing and food, it generates greed and defilement in a person and severs their life of wisdom; if one can stay away from them, good dharmas will increase.

48.13

'Furthermore, good son, all ordinary beings […] the Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, is not with outflows.'

48.14

Sengliang comments: The outflow of reception arises after the three feelings. In terms of the path of antidotes, it should be named the outflow of concentration. Afflictions arising after unpleasant feelings are thoughts of anger; arising after pleasant feelings, they are thoughts of greed.

48.15

'Furthermore, good son, if an ordinary being encounters […] abandons all evils and proceeds toward the good path.'

48.16

Sengliang comments: The seventh is the outflow of mindfulness. At the time when the three feelings arise, they are not yet afflictions; after perceiving suffering and pleasure, one further generates wrong mindfulness, and only upon reflecting on suffering and pleasure do afflictions arise. Therefore, mindfulness is the cause of outflows. When the noble ones perceive suffering and pleasure, they do not give rise to wrong mindfulness; therefore, they do not give rise to the outflow of arising. Regarding 'creating various sufferings for mind and body,' because of the characteristics of a false body and mind, there is no suffering they do not experience; this clarifies the fault of viewing the body. Baoliang comments: Below, the seventh clarifies the outflow of mindfulness. Outflows arising through the conditions of wrong mindfulness are called the outflow of mindfulness. In terms of the path of antidotes, it is called the outflow of practice. As for why it says 'the suffering and distress of body and mind give rise to various evils': the term 'suffering and distress' originally denotes karmic retribution. Yet ordinary beings are foolish and do not comprehend what past karma has incurred; hence, they lament and cry out as if it were unwarranted, claiming that the suffering cannot be borne. Being internally narrow and inverted, not abiding by the true principle, they generate even heavier conditions amid mild suffering. If they recognized the nature and substance of cause and effect, and the actions done in previous lives, settling their minds in this way, how could outflows arise? It is precisely because beings have no understanding in these two paths, and moreover falsely give rise to notions of pleasure within saṃsāra, clinging to them as real, that wrong mindfulness arises in confusion; therefore, they produce various evils. If one is a noble one, abiding with the mind in the Way, one dwells in suffering all day without perceiving it as suffering, and dwells in pleasure without taking it as pleasure; therefore, outflows do not arise. Now the bodhisattva perceives the fault and thus cultivates the emptiness of nominal designations and phenomena, severing the root of suffering. Therefore, the following section makes five stages of analogies based on eight matters: if one settles the mind according to the noble words, all outflows will surely cease forever and nirvāṇa can be expected; if not, saṃsāra will continue perpetually. The eight matters are from 'observing the four great elements' down to 'ascending the great mountain.' The five stages are: first, attaining the emptiness of nominal designations; second, attaining the emptiness of real phenomena; third, clarifying that the two emptinesses accomplish the subsequent eight true non-outflows, fully severing the afflictions of seeing the truths and attaining the fruit of srotāpanna; fourth, from attaining the first fruit, advancing further to completely sever the fetters of reflection in the three realms, reaching the fruit of arhat; fifth, from completely severing the delusions outside the three realms down to attaining mahānirvāṇa.

48.17

'Good son, it is like a king who placed four poisonous snakes […] frightened and terrified in mind, he abandoned the chest and fled.'

48.18

Sengliang comments: The first metaphor uses the master of nominal designation, ignorance, and afflictions to symbolize the king. When the sūtra refers to the four great elements, they symbolize the four snakes. Containing the defiled body is symbolized by a single basket. Causing one to tend and protect it symbolizes caring for and rearing [them]. Failing to adjust properly so that the body breaks down and life ends symbolizes being executed in the marketplace. Seeing the suffering of old age and death symbolizes terror. Knowing that there is no real self symbolizes fleeing. Baoliang comments: The king symbolizes the Buddha. The four poisonous snakes symbolize the four great elements. Being contained in a single basket is like saying that the four great elements constitute a single body. Causing a person to feed and care for them means causing one to contemplate this body as suffering, empty, and impermanent. If understood in terms of [the path], one wishes to rely upon this body of four great elements to practice the Path and advance in virtue; hence one must tend and care for it. Rubbing and washing its body means teaching one to cultivate the contemplation of emptiness, causing one to recognize the faults of the four great elements, whereupon wholesome dharmas will continually arise; this is symbolized by rubbing and washing. If one does not contemplate the four great elements as empty and instead cherishes and clings to one's own body, one will inevitably sever the life of wisdom; this corresponds to being executed in the marketplace. That the person hears the king's strict command means that the bodhisattva receives the Buddha's teaching and contemplates the faults of the four great elements. Abandoning the basket and fleeing means carefully contemplating this body, seeing only that the four great elements are constantly empty and nominal, lacking any single reality; thus one attains the emptiness of nominal designations. To speak of the four great elements, five aggregates, and six sense-bases—all of them allow sentient beings equally to cultivate the contemplation of nominal emptiness. It simply depends on their initial contemplation, grasping a dharma and entering emptiness, which is the same for an internal ordinary person. But because the text cannot state them simultaneously, it explains them in successive stages.

48.19

[The sūtra says:] The king at that time further dispatched five caṇḍālas […] Seeing the five men behind him, he thereupon quickly abandoned [it] and departed.

48.20

Sengliang comments: The second metaphor. Attaining the emptiness of the five aggregates is the emptiness of real dharmas. Seeing that the aggregates are real and capable of plundering wholesome principles is symbolized by the caṇḍālas. Wisdom severing afflictions is symbolized by the sword. Harmful matters arriving together is symbolized by unsheathing [the sword]. Emerging from emptiness to see existence is symbolized by looking back. Having already seen nominal emptiness, understanding reality is easy; this is symbolized by departing quickly. Baoliang comments: It symbolizes contemplating the five aggregates to perform the contemplation of the emptiness of real dharmas.

48.21

[The sūtra says:] At that time the five men, by an evil expedient […] 'You may come back!' The man did not trust them.

48.22

Sengliang comments: The third metaphor. Having broken the two attachments, one attains both the nominal and the real, and the various fetters gradually diminish; only the attachment to real dharmas is difficult to remove, which is symbolized by the evil expedient. Entering contemplation and seeing emptiness is symbolized by concealing the sword. Emerging from contemplation and generating attachment is symbolized by feigning intimacy. Wishing to cause attachment to arise is symbolized by [calling] to come back. Contemplating emptiness and severing attachment is symbolized by not trusting [them]. Baoliang comments: Although one attains the understanding of the two emptinesses—nominal and real—yet upon emerging from the mind of existence, one returns to generating attachment toward the five aggregates. Therefore, one again grasps the five aggregates and contemplates them. Being unable to attain it immediately is symbolized by concealing the sword they held. Generating attachment according to sentiment is like feigning intimacy.

48.23

[The sūtra says:] He threw himself into a village, wishing to hide himself […] Seeking objects and finding none, he thereupon sat upon the ground.

48.24

Sengliang comments: The fourth metaphor. Having attained the first fruit, one gives rise to conceit based on nominal designations and does not diligently cultivate the Path. Knowing the nominal and real of the internal sense-bases is symbolized by the empty village. Being stained by and attached to nominal designations, not regarding concealment as suffering, and failing to see the true self is symbolized by having no people. Failing to see real aggregates is symbolized by having no objects. No longer advancing in cultivation is symbolized by sitting upon the ground. Baoliang comments: Having attained the emptiness of the six sense-bases, entering the practice of signlessness, severing the afflictions [abandoned by] seeing the truths, and realizing the fruit of srotāpanna—this is a place of resting.

48.25

[The sūtra says:] He heard a voice in the air: 'Alas, O man! […] How will you be able to escape them?'

48.26

Sengliang comments: The fifth metaphor. Severing the fetters of cultivation in the two realms, relying upon one's prior understanding as the cause, and advancing to seek the higher fruit is symbolized by hearing the voice in the air. Stating one's prior understanding is symbolized by having no residents. Being stained by and attached to nominal designations is symbolized by 'tonight'. Because internal afflictions exist, external sense-objects are able to enter, which is symbolized by the six thieves. Being able to give rise to multiple fetters is symbolized by life not being preserved. Severing conceit and realizing the fruit is symbolized by abandoning [it] and departing. Baoliang comments: After attaining the fruit of srotāpanna, within the mind emerged from contemplation, afflictions of the domain of cultivation arise and one undergoes rebirth. Since one relies upon the original undefiled understanding of seeing the truths and sees that undergoing rebirth within the domain of cultivation is a fault of delusion, one further contemplates the six sense-objects as empty, advancing to sever the remaining fetters; hence it is expressed as being like hearing a voice in the air.

48.27

[The sūtra says:] At that time the man's terror gradually increased, and he again abandoned [it] and departed.

48.28

Sengliang comments: Again attaining the understanding of the emptiness of the six sense-objects, uncontaminated [wisdom] turns deeper; severing the afflictions of the domain of cultivation, the fetters of the three realms are exhausted, and one realizes the fruit of an arhat.

48.29

[The sūtra says:] On the road he encountered a river whose waters were rushing swiftly […] His mind was peaceful and relaxed, and his terror was dispelled.

48.30

Sengliang comments: The sixth metaphor. Severing the cultivation [afflictions] and latencies of the formless realm. Those afflictions being difficult to sever is symbolized by the rushing swift river. Much concentration and little wisdom is symbolized by having no boat or raft. It must be bridged by the Path, which is symbolized by taking grass and wood. In the higher realms suffering is slight and there is deep meditative bliss; that the practitioner takes joy in it is symbolized by reflecting further. Having recognized that it is suffering is symbolized by pushing the raft into the river. The concentration path being difficult to apply, one must rely on all wholesome [qualities] assisting each other, which is symbolized by both body and hands moving. Baoliang comments: Severing the affliction of the ground of ignorance and attaining the Buddha fruit applies throughout the three realms, both inside and outside, all of which bear the meaning of a river; but here, taking the affliction of the ground of ignorance as difficult to sever constitutes the river. Taking grass and wood as a raft means that outside the three realms there is as yet no counteractive path, and one wishes to cultivate the ten thousand wholesome deeds to proceed to the ultimate fruit. From 'Suppose I remain here' downward, speaking of being harmed by the snakes and thieves: if it refers to completely severing the fetters of the three realms while still not escaping the snakes and thieves, since they are already adjacent to oneself, how could one escape them? It would be better to resign oneself to the ground of ignorance; even if drawn into birth and death, one will ultimately not be harmed by those snakes and thieves. Pushing the grass raft means that once reflection is settled, one then cultivates the ten thousand practices, applying real wisdom and wisdom of expedients, whereupon one reaches the shore of nirvāṇa and ascends the high mountain. From 'contemplating the body as like a basket' onward, it returns to matching the aforementioned eight matters and five stages in sequence.

48.31

[The sūtra says:] When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva hears, accepts, and upholds [this] […] turning his back on them and running toward cultivating the Eight Noble Paths.

48.32

Sengliang comments: Contemplating the four great elements matches the first metaphor. The four kinds of poison: seeing symbolizes sleeping; touch symbolizes the body; breath issuing from the mouth symbolizes sound and scent; taste entering the mouth symbolizes biting.

48.33

[The sūtra says:] The five caṇḍālas are the five aggregates […] traveling on the road, departing without looking back or lingering.

48.34

Sengliang comments: Contemplating the five aggregates matches the second metaphor.

48.35

[The sūtra says:] The one feigning intimacy is craving […] and the one feigning intimacy, traveling on the road without turning back.

48.36

Sengliang comments: Contemplating craving and greed matches the third metaphor. Seeing and not seeing, hearing and not hearing, down to later again not seeing: when entering contemplation one is clear, but when emerging from contemplation delusion arises. The two vehicles are also like this. Originally it served as a metaphor for proceeding toward the first fruit, and by occasion spoke of craving being difficult to eradicate.

Linked texts (1)

大般涅槃經集解 — Classical Chinese